Santiago, Chile
The capital city of Chile, Santiago, is a vibrant and dynamic metropolis nestled in the heart of the country. From its modern skyscrapers to its quaint historical neighborhoods, Santiago blends the old and the new seamlessly. Whether you are interested in exploring the city’s art and cultural scene, indulging in mouthwatering cuisine, or embarking on outdoor adventures, Santiago has something to offer everyone.
About the Program
This program, offered through Hobart and William Smith Colleges' affiliation with IES Abroad, teaches classes at its own study center in the heart of downtown Santiago while also providing opportunities for Spanish-proficient students to enroll at Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUCL) or at U de Chile (UC) for an even deeper Spanish language and Chilean cultural immersion. HWS students may choose from two different program tracks: Politics, Social Justice, and Language or Health Studies. The social justice track focuses on the study of key historical and contemporary issues in multicultural Chile while the health track emphasizes community health courses and practica. Both tracks facilitate Spanish language development. Students enrolled in either track may elect credit-bearing internships or community-service projects.
All students will take 4-5 courses over the semester, all taught in Spanish. In addition to at least one Spanish language course, a wide range of offerings are available in history, politics, environmental studies, social justice, literature, and art. Students with a high level of Spanish proficiency and who are able to extend their semester into July will have a wider range of choices through direct enrollment at PUCL or UC, including courses in education, the sciences, and liberal arts.
For more information on these two tracks and the classes offered, please visit the IES Abroad Santiago page here: Study Abroad in Santiago.
ACADEMIC FOCUS
This program will be of particular interest to students in Spanish and Hispanic Studies and Latin American Studies, as well as those with sufficient Spanish language proficiency from other disciplines including anthropology, art history, environmental studies, history, international relations, politics, pre-health, public health, and social justice. Community service placements and internships are available to interested students in a variety of areas and can replace on academic course.
This program is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors in good academic and social standing who have a minimum GPA of 2.75. Students must complete the equivalent of 4 semesters of college-level Spanish (or more) prior to departure, including a course at their appropriate level during the semester prior to studying in Santiago. Due to the challenging nature of study abroad, student academic and disciplinary records will be carefully screened.
Students will reside in homestays arranged by IES, the best way to experience Chilean daily life first-hand. Hosts are carefully chosen by the housing coordinator who will make every effort to match students with families based upon their expressed preferences. Students will be provided with breakfast and dinner each day in their homestays.
IES runs an excursion to Valparaiso and Vina del Mar during orientation each semester. A number of local excursions will be offered in Santiago including visits to museums, community centers and arts venues. In addition, students are encouraged (for a modest fee) to participate in an 3 day/night excursion to Chile’s largest island, Chiloe, to learn about sustainable agriculture and visit a penguin colony.
Students will be charged standard HWS tuition and fees, room fees, a 2/3 board fee, and a $600 administrative fee. This will cover tuition for a four-course semester, health insurance, housing with partial board, and program-related activities and excursions. Students should plan to bring the remaining 1/3 board fee (about $1000) to cover meals not included.
Additional expenses not covered include airfare, visa, books, and personal expenses (laundry, entertainment, ground transportation, and independent travel). We estimate airfare for this program at $1200-$1400 from the East Coast, visa at $150, and books at $200. It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of personal expenses because student spending habits differ considerably. We would suggest a minimum of $1250 above and beyond meal expenses. However, students on a tight budget should be able to manage with less. If you are concerned about finances we strongly encourage you to talk to the CGE staff who can offer information and advice based on your specific situation.
HWS students must complete all components of the Global Education application in order to be considered for admission to this program.
- This program is offered every Spring semester.
- All components of the application must be submitted online by the published deadline. Specific deadline dates are set each semester and typically will be in late September/early October (for Fall programs) and late February/early March (for Spring programs).
Program Handbook
IMPORTANT: The handbook below is the most recent handbook(s) published for this program. A new version, with updated information, will be made available each semester. Program participants will receive their updated handbook approximately 2-3 months prior to their program’s start date.
SPRING HANDBOOK COMING SOON
Please DO NOT MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS until you have received final confirmation of the program start/finish dates for the specific semester you are attending. Dates included in versions of the program handbook intended for previous semesters do not necessarily apply to future programs.
NOTE: The information above is subject to change. Please see the CGE for more information.
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